Hyundai i-Blue fuel cell concept makes North American debut at Chicago auto show

07 February 2008

Chicago: Hyundai's new hydrogen-powered, zero-emission concept, the i-Blue Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), debuted in North America at the 100th edition of the Chicago Auto Show today.

Developed at Hyundai's Design and Technical Center in Chiba, Japan, the i-Blue concept illustrates the design direction for a future FCEV production model. The all-new i-Blue platform features Hyundai's third-generation fuel cell technology, currently being developed at Hyundai's Eco-Technology Research Institute in Mabuk, Korea.

The i-Blue demonstrates a significant step towards commercialisation of Hyundai fuel cell vehicles. Unlike its predecessors which were built on production SUV platforms, the i-Blue features a new, purpose-built 2+2 crossover architecture.

The i-Blue is powered by a 100 kW electric engine and fuel cell stack. Fuelled with compressed hydrogen (700 bar) stored in a 115-liter tank, i-Blue is capable of running more than 370 miles per refuelling and achieves a maximum speed of more than 100 miles per hour.

The i-Blue's fuel cell stack is housed under floor, not in the engine compartment as in the second-generation Tucson FCEV. This gives the car ideal 50:50 weight distribution for optimal driving and handling dynamics, as well as better air flow and cooling.

Like other fuel cell vehicles, i-Blue's only emission is water vapour.